The five species of tody (Todus) comprise one of two avian families that are restricted solely to the West Indies, the other being the monospecific Palmchat (Dulidae) of Hispaniola. Todidae is an extremely uniform family. All species are morphologically and behaviourally similar, and...

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Todies are tiny, round-bodied, large-headed, short-tailed birds which characteristically perch with the bill uptilted. Shining emerald-green above, and creamy below, with a prominent crimson bib, and a long, flat, bicoloured bill with the upper mandible black and the lower red, each bird...

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Todies prefer to forage in the forest understorey and require a plentiful, year-round food supply. They are largely insectivorous, and around 50 insect families have been identified as prey. These are primarily...

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So far as is known, todies are monogamous. Their courtship displays involve the male and female chasing each other closely, “Wing-rattling” and “Wing-cracking” vigorously. They pursue each other, often at lightning speed, on straight flightpaths or in parabolic arcs or circles, darting and...

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Todies are non-social birds, living in pairs which establish individual breeding territories. They remain in these throughout the year, and retain them from one year to the next. During the non-breeding months,...

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Despite their tameness and abundance in a variety of West Indian habitats, todies were apparently never culturally important, apart from their role in providing a source of mini-snacks. Local people bestowed upon them a variety of endearing names. Their bank-nesting habits prompted the French...

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As a family, the todies seem reasonably secure. Only the Narrow-billed Tody gives cause for concern, and is considered to be Near-threatened. Overall, however, the todies are still common to abundant in most...

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Species list

List of species of the Todies (Todidae) family. Each species provides information on taxonomy, descriptive notes, voice, habitat, food and feeding, breeding, movements, status and conservation and bibliography.

A detailed list of the species of the family is displayed to our subscribers, showing the following columns: Genus, Species, Common name, Conservation Status, Figure, and the Check mark. Above the table, a tiny search engine is displayed to facilitate the filtering of the species.

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